As the tour on the Kentucky River begins, the sternwheeler Dixie Belle passes under the 280-foot High Bridge, the first cantilever bridge in America and once the highest bridge on the continent.

Initially, passengers will view a few houses built on stilts to avoid the flood waters of the Kentucky River. But soon those man-made sights give way to views of limestone palisades and pristine wooded scenery.

On our Dixie Belle narrated tour, the captain was a cornucopia of knowledge. He pointed out natural phenomena of the region. He also talked about the abundance of local wildlife -- from heron and egrets to bobcats, rabbits and wild turkeys.

Because the limestone palisades preclude access to the river, you won’t find the usual boat docks and gas pumps along this 30-mile stretch of the Kentucky River. Instead, you’ll discover a quiet river often used by canoers and kayakers.

If you’re an angler, the Kentucky River is fertile ground. It boasts 230 varieties of fish, including the prehistoric-looking paddlefish. That catch -- prized for its caviar – can grow to nearly six feet.

The Dix River also enters the Kentucky along this stretch of water. It flows from the depths of Lake Herrington. The cold water of the Dix (prior to its entry into the Kentucky) is excellent for trout fishing. For regional fishing information, contact the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources at http://fw.ky.gov.

And if you head for this lakeside area, at times you may see deer and wild turkeys alongside rural roadways.

Canoeing Trip

Our favorite part of the three-day adventure was a 12-mile canoe trip along the Green River. At $25 a person, this day trip is a bargain. Canoers are shown getting an operational and safety demonstration below.*

When we pulled into the parking lot to meet Mike Daugherty, who owns Green River Canoes (207-798-2956 or www.campbellsville.com/grcanoes), Campbellsville, and Mike Mills, Greensburg’s director of development, an angler was pulling a good-sized muskie out of the water.

The lucky (or skilled) fisherman shouted to ask us whether we wanted his catch! But when we told him that we had brought a picnic lunch, he released the fish to swim another day.

The Green River between Mammoth Cave and Green River Lake was low, the result of a drought that seriously affected much of the Southeastern U.S. this year. As a result, we frequently had to haul our hefty selves up and out of the boats to walk around rocks in the river bed. Mills told us that he had lived in Greenburg all his life and had never seen the water level so low.

Once paddling again along the serene waterway, civilization seemed a world away. During our six-hour trip, we sighted just one family swimming, one man fishing and two men working along the shore.

Near the end of the trip, we stopped again along the shore to meet with Dr. Richie Kessler, project director for the Green River Bioreserve, which consists of the Green River, tributaries and portions of Mammoth Cave National Park.

Dr. Kessler explained that 71 of the 103 varieties of mussels found in the state live in the Green River. Indeed the stream bed was peppered with them wherever we looked.

Kentucky’s reputation for horses and bluegrass is certainly appropriate. But the wild beauty of its waterways (Kentucky Lake is shown at right)* also deserves a place of honor among the commonwealth’s many tourism attractions.

Craig Lancto is an Alexandria, Virginia-based travel writer who specializes in history and culture.

*Photos are owned, copyrighted and used courtesy of the Kentucky Department of Travel, the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Department, the Holmes Bend Resort and Marina, the Emerald Isle Resort and Marina, other local tourism authorities, and Craig Lancto. All rights reserved. Please do not copy nor link to these photos. Thank you.